The Queen's Gambit Job Rewritten
by Rayhne
Summary: I wasn't too happy with some aspects of this episode so I've done a bit of a rewrite. Part Three is posted. It gets a little steamy ...
1. Chapter 1

_I wasn't entirely happy with The Queen's Gambit Job. There were several gapes and things that just didn't make sense. I don't intend on re-writing the whole thing, just the first couple of scenes. For now this story is rated K but as of part three the rating will go up to M. Be sure to read the warnings. There are three more parts planned._

* * *

><p>Nathan Ford saw his target and took a deep breath before twisting the wheel and skidding to a halt. A part of him was wondering on the best way to return the car as he stepped out and started forward but he was slow compared to his passenger. She was already out and throwing herself into her father's arms.<p>

Nate leaned back against the hood of the car, crossing his arms as he watched Sterling hug his daughter hard, years of separation making him reluctant to let her go. Finally he pulled away, father and daughter staring at each other for a moment longer before he looked at Nate.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Nate smiled slightly. "Don't thank me yet. The others are really pissed at you."

"We needed the diversions."

"By drugging my people and getting them arrested?"

An expression Nate couldn't identify crossed the other man's face then was gone so quickly thought he had imagined it. "It kept everyone busy and I knew it wouldn't stick." Sterling pulled a passport from his breast pocket and handed to Olivia. "Here. Your real passport." His smile matched his daughter's as she opened it to look at her birth name. "Go on." He nodded toward the private plane nearby. "I'll be with you in a moment."

"Okay." She hesitated before giving him another hard hug then turned to run for the plane.

Sterling watched her go before turning back to his former friend. "Still, thanks."

Nate nodded slowly. "You can get her out of the country?"

Sterling smirked. "Thanks to your friends. Livingston and his people are so busy dealing with them he doesn't even realize Olivia's gone. Three more hours and she'll be out of his reach."

"Yeah." He looked after the girl, standing in the plane's doorway, looking anxiously at her father. "Take care of her."

"Don't worry about that."

"I don't." Nate reached into a pocket and pulled out a slip of folded paper, handing it to the other man.

Sterling took it, eying it cautiously. "What's this?"

"A name. I want all the information you can get on it." He turned away. "And maybe I won't tell Eliot where to find you."

"So we're even then?" Sterling called after him.

He wasn't surprised that he didn't get an answer.

XoXoXoXoX

_Flashback  
>How this all started<em>

The door opened just as Nate was turning to follow Sophie up the stairs. "Sorry, we're closed," he tossed over his shoulder.

"H'llo, Nate," a familiar voice said and he paused. After a moment, he turned to stare at his former friend.

"Sterling. What's with the beard?"

Sterling smirked. "I rather like it." He hesitated, looking away for a moment. "I need your help," he said finally.

Nate laughed. "Right. You really expect us to help after the last time. Trust me, there's nothing you can say –"

"I need your help to get my daughter back."

"You have a daughter?" Nate said, startled.

"Yeah. It's a long story."

"I didn't even know you were married."

Sterling walked over to a chess board set up nearby. Idly he fingered the white queen. "I wasn't. Like I said. Long story." He looked at the other man, arching an eyebrow and Nate sighed.

Pouring two glasses of scotch, he picked them up and offered one to Sterling before sitting at the chess board. Sterling sat across from him, watching as Nate made the first move.

"Her mother and I never married." Sterling explained. "We did consider it when we realized she was pregnant but," he paused thoughtfully, absently rapping the pawn he'd just taken on the table. "But we both knew it would never work. We made better friends then we would spouses. Everything was fine. We shared raising Olivia but then Katherine fell for a man named Livingston."

"You never told me about either of them." Nate moved a piece and took a pawn off the board.

Sterling studied him for a long moment. "I guess I didn't want to admit how badly I screwed up. I trusted Kathryn. When she married Livingston she assured me nothing would change but then they moved overseas and I couldn't see Olivia as often. And then Kathryn was killed and it all went to hell." He stared at the board unseeingly then looked at Nate. "The minute I heard about Kathryn I sued for full custody. And I won it. Here, in the States. And Great Britain as well. But Livingston has powerful friends and possession is 9/10ths of the law."

Nate moved a piece, face deep in thought. "How old is she?"

"Thirteen. Almost fourteen." Sterling reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a photo, handing it to the other man.

Nate took it, smiling slightly at the beaming girl pictured there. "You've managed to stay in contact?"

"Yeah. Not often. Every now and then, about every six months, Livingston lets me see her. A gesture, really. To help keep the courts and the Embassies off his back. Always in one of his heavily guarded homes and never alone. If I can get her out of there and out of the country then we'll be fine."

"You have a plan?"

"Yeah. Just so happens Livingston's involved in something Interpol is interested in." He reached over and pulled a folder from a nearby briefcase. "Here. Here's all the information. Just a couple of things." He hesitated. "I don't want you telling any of your team about Olivia."

"I have to –"

"It might affect how they act." Sterling ran over his words. "How they feel about the job. They hate my guts and that could affect how they treat this job."

"They wouldn't endanger a child. Not even yours."

Sterling glared at him. "Sure about that? Look." He cut Nate off. "You can tell them afterward. I just don't want them to know during. It would change the way they act, no matter how good they are."

Nate bit his lip, studying the board as a distraction. After a moment he moved a piece. "And the other thing?"

"This one will undoubtedly make both you and your team happy. I will have to stay on the outskirts of the job." He leaned back into the chair, smiling slightly at the look on Nate's face. "Livingston knows me and so do his people. And he is paranoid. They see me, they will assume I'm trying to snatch her. So I figure I can help out with the planning and anything that needs done outside. And help with this part of it." He tapped the folder.

Nate eyed the folder before moving a piece and rising. "I'll call the others."

Sterling smiled, looking at the two queens squaring off against each other on the chessboard.

* * *

><p><em>The rest of the story is similar to what was in the episode with some minor changes. I'll leave those up to your imagination or they may come out in future tales.<br>_


	2. Part Two

_Sterling and his daughter have a little talk. This part brings in new characters: Sterling's brother David, David's dog Hank, and Livinia Carter. They will be introduced better in part four._

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><p>Jim Sterling looked out at his daughter and his brother, busy brushing the dog. Hank loved the attention, flopping down on the ground as they each brushed a side. He smiled as Olivia paused to clean the brush and Hank poked his muzzle at her impatiently. He couldn't hear what Olivia said but he could guess.<p>

"What is wrong with you?" Livinia Carter's voice came from behind him.

"What?" Jim turned to look at her in surprise and ended up smiling at the tall dark woman fussing over the cushions.

"You have been walking around moping for the past few days."

"Moping? I –"

Livinia silenced him with a look and he bit his lip.

"I just have something I need to talk about with Olivia and I just am not sure –"

"Just do it." He had no doubt the woman knew what he was talking about. Livinia had pretty much raise him and his brother and neither of them had ever gotten away with anything. "And it's about time." She looked at him before shooing him toward the doors. "Go."

"Yes, ma'am," he muttered as he walked outside. Stepping into the girl's line of sight, he waved at her and, when she looked at him, waved her over. She signed something at David and he nodded as she rose. Jim met her halfway and slipped an arm around her, guiding her toward the path through the woods.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked anxiously.

"Wrong?" Jim threw her a startled look. "No, nothing's wrong. I just – there's something I want to talk to you about." He absently rubbed his hands along his thighs, staring into the distance.

"Well?" Olivia finally said and he looked at her, startled.

"It's not exactly easy for me to bring up. You see, it's just …." His voice trailed off and he kicked at a rock on the ground, sending it sailing off.

Olivia remained silent for a long moment, a smile tugging at her lips. "Dad, uhm. Does this little talk have anything to do with you being gay?" She stole a look at her father, her smile widening at the look on his face.

"How? What? Your mother would have never said –" He paused, taking a deep breath. "I knew I should have shot the bastard when I had a chance."

"Why? I mean, I know of several reasons but I'd think that would be low on the reasons. I mean –" She turned to look at him, crossing her arms and looking stern. "You were going to tell me, weren't you?"

"Yes. I was just waiting until you were a little older. And out of Livingston's clutches." He tilted his head. "But why did he tell you? For that matter, how did he know? Your mother would not have told him."

Olivia made a face. "He didn't tell me. I overheard one of his men giving him a report about you. Apparently he'd been having you followed."

Jim opened his mouth to deny that before pausing, remembering a period of time a few months ago. "Maybe four months ago?"

"Yeah. He may still try and use it against you."

"Nothing to use. I don't flaunt it but I won't hide it." They walked along for a few minutes. "So what do you think? Your old man being gay?"

Olivia bit at her lip. "So you are my father?"

"What?" Jim stopped dead in surprise.

"I mean – if you're not interested in women –" Olivia fumbled uncertainly.

Jim gave a short laugh of relief. "Darling," he slipped an arm around her and she around him before they resumed walking. "Back then I was more bisexual than homosexual. Over the years my – my taste have solidified. Nowadays I stick to men but back then, well, I was interested in women and, I'm almost ashamed to admit, I was trying to be normal. Your mother, bless her, understood."

"Is that why you didn't marry her?"

"We didn't marry because we knew it wouldn't work. Not because I'm gay but because of our personalities and our ambitions. We would have ended up tearing each other apart and that would have hurt you and neither of us wanted that."

"That's what mom said."

"Your mother was a smart woman, even if she did have lousy taste in men." He kissed Olivia's forehead.

"I don't know." Olivia giggled. "She loved you."

"Like I said. Lousy taste in men." They both laughed as they walked on, turning back toward the house.

"So." Olivia squeezed her father's waist. "Is there someone I should know about?" She gave him a sidelong look.

Jim frowned, looking away. "There might be," he said finally. "Our relationship is – complicated."

"How so?" Jim didn't answer and Olivia rolled her eyes. "What's he like?"

Jim hesitated. "Ask me again in a few days. Which reminds me, I will be gone for a few days."

Olivia's smile broadened and threw herself forward to hug him tightly. He blinked in surprise but returned the hug. "Good luck."

He chuckled. "Yeah. Thanks." He brushed a kiss against her forehead. "I should be back in a couple days. You listen to Livinia. And get your schoolwork done."

"Dad." Olivia rolled her eyes. "Bring him back to meet us!"

Jim blinked. "I – don't know." He caught the look on his daughter's face and sighed. "I'll ask. That's all I can do."

They walked back to the house.

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><p><em>The next part is hot and steamy and rated MNC-17. I hope to post it tomorrow._


	3. Part Three

_Warnings: This part contains graphic m/m sex with some light bondage, domination, and use of sex toys._

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><p>Jim Sterling stared out the window, eyes roaming the city. He'd always loved Boston. Something about it just drew him. His lips quirked at the thought that maybe it wasn't the city that drew him.<p>

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" The growled words came from behind him but he didn't turn. "You have a daughter and you never mentioned it."

Jim's lips quirked. "I don't ever remember talking about our families. In fact –"

"That ain't the point." The voice was right behind him and he stiffened slightly. "You needed someone retrieved and you didn't ask me to do it."

Jim said nothing, aware of the heat of a body standing too near and the feel of harsh breathing against the back of his neck. What they had was purely physical; they didn't talk about their families. At least that's what he'd always told himself. But if that were true then why hadn't he told him?

He raised the glass of fine scotch to his lips only to have it snatched from his hand. He turned to protest but hands grabbed him, throwing hm on the bed. His wrists were grabbed and forced above his head, held there by strong hands. Eyes wide, he stared up at the angry man above him.

But there was more then anger in Eliot Spencer's eyes. There was something else, something he'd never seen before but before he could reason it out, Eliot's mouth came down onto his in a hard kiss.

Jim moaned into the kiss, his eyes closing then snapping open at the feel of cold metal around his wrists. Arching his head back, he saw a pair of handcuffs worked through the wooden slats of the headboard and fastened securely around his wrists.

"What the? Eliot!" He turned back, his protest dying in his throat at the sight of the knife the stone-faced Eliot now held.

The knife lowered, dangerously close to his neck. It's sharpness was confirmed with the ease it slipped through the cloth – the _expensive_ cloth – of his tie. Eliot pulled it away and lowered the knife to his shirt. Jim spared a moment to be thankful he'd taken his jacket off then Eliot was cutting his shirt away.

Licking his lips, Jim opened his mouth but before he could say a word, Eliot thrust a wad of cloth into his mouth. He made an indignant sound which Eliot ignored as he used the remnants of the tie to bind the wad in place. That done, he leaned back to study the other man.

XoXoXoXoX

Jim's eyes were wide but not with fright, despite the fact that Eliot was still holding the knife. For some reason that irritated the hitter. Jim trusted him enough to not be afraid despite the situation and yet didn't trust him enough to tell him about his daughter. His eyes narrowed and he spun the knife before setting it to one side. Swinging off the other man's body he proceeded to strip him, tossing the shoes to one side and peeling off his socks. The trousers were next, Jim raising his hips to help him slide both them and the boxers he wore off.

Picking up what remained of the shirt, Eliot tore it into strips and used them to tie Jim's ankles to the bedposts. Jim made a sound of protest but could do nothing to stop him. Legs now secure, he uncuffed the other man's hands one at a time, and retied them to each bed post so that Jim was now spread-eagle on the bed.

Eliot looked down at him, reaching down to run a hand across Jim's chest, pausing to trace the tattoo on his chest. The other man's breathing quickened, his teeth grinding through the gag. The hitter smiled and straightened, undressing slowly. Jim watched his every move, his breathing harsh. Now naked, Eliot stepped close enough to run a hand up Jim's inner thigh. The other man moaned, his cock twitching in response.

"Ah-ha." Eliot removed his hand, much to Jim's obvious disappointment. "We're just starting." With that he picked up a strip of cloth and covered the other man's eyes, tying it securely.

XoXoXoXoX

Plunged into darkness, Jim could only lie there and wait. He knew this game; had even played it before, though he hadn't ever been in this position before. He was usually the dominant one. But now ….

His breath caught at the feel of Eliot's hands on his cock and balls, smoothing lubricant over both then he felt warmed metal against his balls. It took him a moment to realize that they were being slipped through a cock ring. He made a protesting sound but could do nothing as the ring was put into place and his cock and balls tugged through. _This is different_, he thought hazily. His cock hardened even more and he whimpered as the hands left him. He heard Eliot walk away.

He soon returned and climbed back between Jim's legs. Fingers slick with lube slipped between between his ass cheeks to probe the tight opening. Jim groaned, clenching his teeth on the gag. The muscles in his legs twitched uncontrollably as a finger slipped into him then a second. The fingers moved, carefully avoiding his prostrate while stretching him almost roughly.

Jim whimpered, trying to beg through the gag. He jerked his hips, trying to ride the probing fingers but Eliot deftly controlled him with the fingers inside him and a hand on his belly. He could feel moisture on his belly and knew his captive cock was leaking.

The fingers left him and were replaced with the hard head of a cock. Jim arched his back, silently begging for more. Eliot obliged, thrusting hard and deep and Jim screamed into the gag. With Eliot buried deeply within him, he could feel metal pressing against him and realized that Eliot was wearing a cock ring as well.

_Oh god._ Jim wrapped his hands around the cloth binding them to the posts, gripping tightly. _This is going to be a hell of a ride._

And it was.

Blindfolded, Jim lost all track of time, aware only of Eliot moving against him, inside him, riding him for all he was worth. He could feel sweat covering his body, some of it Eliot's dripping down onto him, most of it his. His legs twitched helplessly, wanting to wrap around the man fucking him but unable to. He could only whimper and twist, trying to meet the thrusts as best he can.

More than once Eliot would stop, staying in place for a long moment before continuing. A couple times he left Jim's body completely and and sat back on his heels, leaving Jim whining deep in his throat, body twitching helplessly and he heard the other man laugh softly.

"We have all night," that dark voice murmured in his ear and Jim made an indescribable sound then Eliot was inside him again, riding him hard and fast.

XoXoXoX

Eliot thrust hard into the body beneath him, occasionally changing tempo to keep Jim off balance. The man was helpless with his arms and legs restrained. He could only take what Eliot was willing to give him and at the moment, Eliot was still angry enough to give him as little as possible.

His hands drifted over Jim's chest and downward. Jim made a whining sound deep in his throat, bucking his hips desperately and he laughed darkly as he avoided touching the swollen cock. Hard, red, and weeping, it bounced against Jim's belly with every thrust and it was obviously driving the man mad.

Eliot felt his control slipping and he stopped, buried as deeply as he could inside Jim. He paused, breathing deeply as he reestablished control.

"There we are," he murmured as he resumed moving but now he was moving slower, drawing out each thrust. He wanted to make this last as long as he could. Sweat was dripping off the other man and his breathing was harsh. To take his mind off the incredible sensations he was feeling Eliot began to talk.

"So hard, aren't you? Hard and horny. But no getting off for you." He chuckled at the sound that wrenched from Jim. "Not until I let you." He leaned forward, careful not to touch the weeping cock. "How does it feel, eh? So helpless, so horny." He kissed the sweat from the underside of Jim's jaw.

Eliot was aware of sweat dripping from him, dripping down onto Jim. His hair was matted with sweat as well and he shook it back. For some reason that move made his control slip and he bit his lip, refusing to come before Jim did. Pausing, buried deep in the other man, he looked down at him, down at that hard, aching cock.

"Come for me," he whispered.

Jim froze, shuddering slightly then his body jerked as he came, screaming into the gag. He tightened almost painfully around Eliot's own swollen organ and the hitter bit back a scream of his own as he came himself.

XoXoXoX

Jim stirred. The blindfold and gag were both gone and he ran his tongue over his lips. He was dimly aware of the restraints being removed and the cock ring being gently slipped off. He twitched at that, remembering the intense orgasm that still rippled through his body, making his skin ultra-sensitive and limbs weak. A wet cloth ran over his body, cleaning him and he hummed softly.

There was a chuckle and Jim smiled sleepily. He heard Eliot walk away then back again, stretching out next to him and pulling the sheet over them both. Arms slipped around him and he nestled close with a sigh, content to be held as he slipped into an exhausted sleep.

He woke up to the sound of soft voices. Stirring, Jim rolled over to look toward the door, opening his eyes and rubbing at them sleepily. Eliot, dressed in a hotel robe, was at the door talking with someone of the other side. The next minute he was pulling a serving cart inside, closing the door behind him. He must have made a sound because Eliot looked at him with a grin.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"Starving," Jim groaned, stretching. "Let me shower and I'll be ready to eat." He sat up, wincing.

"Sore?" Eliot smirked.

Jim grimaced at him as he stood, moving gingerly. He hated to admit it but he was sore. He hadn't been ridden so hard since, well, ever. Stepping into the bathroom, he flipped on the shower.

A long hot shower later, he walked out of the bathroom, now wearing the other robe. He sat down across from Eliot and lifted the lid off his plate, noting with satisfaction that he'd ordered steak and eggs just the way he liked them. They ate in silence, cleaning both their plates before settling back to drink their tea. Jim grew aware of Eliot staring at him and he sighed.

"I hired other retrieval specialists." Jim know it was the wrong thing to say the moment he said it. Eliot's eyes narrowed dangerously and he hurried on. "None of them came back. Three of them and none of them ever return!"

"Well, you get what you paid for." Eliot stood up, tossing off the robe and reaching for his clothes.

Jim stood up quickly, feeling the situation spinning out of control. "Hendricks."

Eliot paused, hand resting on his jeans. He was still naked but Jim couldn't enjoy the view.

"Black Elk. Poppe. You know those names. Some of the best in the business. At least one better than you. None of them came back. I haven't found any mention of them since."

"Yeah. Black Elk fell off the grid two years ago," Eliot mussed.

"He was the first I hired. Couple months after Kathryn died. After Hendricks I didn't try hiring anyone else."

"You still –"

"Could have told you? You would have tried to retrieve her and I couldn't lose both of you." Jim stopped abruptly, having said more than he meant to. After a moment, he turned, reaching for the bag he had bought with him. Silently he dressed. He could hear Eliot dressing behind him. "We can't keep going on like this."

There was silence behind him and he turned. Eliot had paused in buttoning his shirt, looking at him with no expression.

"I have my daughter back. I have –" Sterling continued quietly. "I have family. I have more in my life than just work and I'm finding I want more. I –"

"If that's what you want," Eliot said stiffly, reaching for his bag. "Then –"

"Damn it, Eliot!" Jim burst out. "I want a relationship with you!"

Eliot rocked back on his heels, honestly surprised but before he could say anything, Jim continued.

"I want a life with you. Not just one-night stands!" Jim had thought about this conversation for a long time, practiced it even but that was all forgotten as his words tumbled over each other. "I want you in my life. I want – I want home-cooked meals and watching TV together and just spending _time_ together. I want to make love to you in my own bed. Better yet, _our_ own bed." He fumbled to a stop, taking a deep breath.

Eliot just stared at him, his face blank and Jim swallowed hard, feeling his hopes drop. He turned away, grabbing up the clothing Eliot had taken off of him the night before and shoving them into his bag. Before he could zip it closed he felt a hand lightly touch his back. He straightened, not resisting as first one arm slipped around him and then another, wrapping around him and holding him close.

Jim could feel Eliot's body pressing against his, the tickle of his long hair on his neck and he closed his eyes in relief. Releasing the bag, he reached up to entwine his fingers with Eliot's.

"We fight like cats and dogs," Eliot murmured.

Jim chuckled, meeting his lover's eyes in the mirror. "Adds spice to the relationship."

Eliot snorted.

"Besides," Jim continued. "Things are changing. There's no reason we can't work together."

"Oh yeah." Eliot chuckled. "That's going to work real well."

"Well, we can at least not stomp all over each other."

Eliot snickered.

Jim laughed as well. "Try not to then." He turned his head to look at Eliot. "We'll make it work."

Eliot sighed. "With you living God knows where – what?" he demanded at Jim started to laugh.

"I live just outside of Boston. Well, when I'm not traveling for work. Now at least."

"What?" Eliot blinked in surprise.

"Okay." Jim finally released Eliot and turned around. "I have a place outside of Boston. Haven't been living there. Not until I got Olivia back."

"Hardison did searches on you. No mention of a place in Boston."

"Long story. Short version is that its actually owned by my brother."

"Brother?"

Jim opened his mouth then sighed. "Told you it was a long story."

"Yeah, well. I'm ordering some coffee and you're going tell it to me."

Before Eliot could turn away Jim grabbed his arm. "Wait. I'll be happy to tell you everything but first – uhm. Everyone wants to meet you."

"You told them about me?"

Jim couldn't tell if he was pleased or not. "Well. Apparently I didn't have to. According to David I've been acting – weird and he figured there was someone. And when I told Olivia that I was gay, she figured the reason I was telling her was because I had someone. Now they want to meet you. So I was thinking, week from Sunday? Dinner?"

Eliot bit his lip, studying him thoughtfully before grinning. "How about this Sunday?"

Jim blinked and started to speak then paused, obviously recognizing the challenge in Eliot's words. "I'll have to call Livinia and asked her if this Sunday will work." He reached for his phone.

"Livinia?" Eliot asked but Jim had already hit speed-dial and was talking.

"H'lo, Olivia. Could you put on Livinia? Livinia? Uhm, how do you feel about company this Sunday. Yeah," he grinned at Eliot. "him. What? Well, I can just …. Okay." He pulled the phone from his ear and offered it to Eliot. "She wants to talk to you."

"What? Why?" Eliot gingerly took the phone and held it to his ear. "Yeah? What?" He straightened, almost standing at attention. "Yes, ma'am. Well, I really don't have any family. Uhm. Well, they're friends, not fam –" he stopped, catching the look on Jim's face, realizing that this was another challenge, a challenge not from Jim but from this unknown woman on the phone. He wavered for just a moment. "Okay. I'll invite them. Doesn't mean they'll come but I'll ask. Yes, ma'am. I will." He handed the phone back to Jim, who said good-bye to the woman and hung up. "She used to be a drill sergeant in a previous life, right?"

"I've often wondered." Jim smiled, a smile that turned into a grimace. "I'm sorry she forced you into that."

"I'm not. I don't want to keep it from them."

"They're not going to like it."

Eliot shrugged then reached out to slip a hand behind Jim's head, pulling him in for a kiss. It wasn't their customary hard, brutal fight of dominance kiss. This one was gentle, questing, the promise of more to come. Jim reached up to caress Eliot's face, prolonging the kiss.

"Will this be a problem for your work?" Eliot asked as they pulled apart, still in each other's arms.

It was Jim's turn to shrug. "If it does it does. I'll deal with it. I mean, it's not like I'm going to flaunt it." He hesitated, suddenly uncertain. "Will this work? You and me?"

Eliot rolled his eyes. "Now you think of that?"

Jim frowned and started to pull away but Eliot held him tight.

"I think it can. Three years I would have said different but now – we're both different people." He rested his forehead against the other man's. "Though I wish you had told me about Olivia sooner. I understand why you didn't but it still ticks me off."

"At least you're alive to be ticked off."

"Yeah, right." Eliot pulled away. "Let me order that coffee then we can talk." He started to turn then paused, looking back at Jim. "Really talk."

"Really talk." Jim murmured, smiling. He couldn't help but reflect that talking was a good way to start a new relationship.

* * *

><p><em>One more part coming, at least for now. How does Eliot tell the team about his new relationship?.<em>


End file.
